1894

The writer of this column has, he hopes, secured a special dispensation from Chief Widmayer and his staff for getting these notes in two days late. The reason for the delay is that the Matt Jones Fall Round-Up was held on October 5 and these notes are being written October 6. The Round-Up was held in "the attractive home of Don Colby and his daughter Louise, at Claremont, N. H. This is the fourth successive year in which we have met within the confines of the Granite state. The date chosen this year was particularly delightful because it gave those who came to Claremont the chance to ride through the autumnal foliage just about at its peak.

First, as to the attendance: 22 of the '94 family were present. This included eight out of a possible seventeen members of the Class. They were Ames, Parker, Stone, Welton who were so fortunate as to be able to bring their wives; and Cassin, Colby, Marden and Merrill, who had to come deprived of uxorial and maternal support. There were seven wives of deceased members: Mesdames Gifford, Hurd. Lyon, G. E. Mann, Mudgett, Penniman, Sawyer. There were two daughters: Miss Louise Colby and Mrs. Eleanor (Lyon) Baldwin. Last but in no way least, was our rightly distinguished honorary member, Miss Charlotte Ford, the Alumni Recorder of the College.

Twenty-two seemed to be the number characterizing the day, for we had greetings from exactly 22 absentees. Our two oldest members Lovejoy and Gibbon, headed this list followed by Field, Grover, Hall, Knowlton and B. Smalley, a total of seven. Greetings also came from twelve wives of deceased members and from three daughters.

After enjoying a midday meal which was graciously served and was wholly adequate in abundance and quality, the ladies stood by while a representative of the Claremont Eagle took a picture of the men. We then sat down and looked at the pictures which Ben Welton had gathered on his recent travels, to which were added some pictures of former years. So we had a chance to visit with him Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Tobago and other islands in the British West Indies, and Caracas in Venezuela. We must say to you, Ben, that you were wasting your talents when you were master-minding the accounts of New York City and were managing that Salt organization in Detroit. What you ought to have been doing was to travel over the earth taking pictures. For your pictures show that you know where to go and what to see. You know how to place a camera so that the building, the landscape, the water or what you will shows up at its best. You know how to let the right color show. In short, your artistry is perfection. This is not said to pat you on the back but because it is the simple truth. You are one of the three youngest men in our present group and we may well look to the years ahead for your continuing to make this an outstanding feature of our annual fall gatherings.

Following Ben Welton, our honorary member, Charlotte Ford, told us a good deal about the College in a very short talk. She spoke of the fact that the churches of Hanover happened at the moment all to be staffed with young and able ministers. The interior of Rollins Chapel had been transformed and made thoroughly attractive. Attendance had increased and, all in all, religion was coming to play a larger part in the life of the College. She also spoke of the comprehensive plans that are being made to celebrate in 1969 the 200th anniversary of the founding of the College. Work on the new Hopkins Center will be begun very soon and the plans for this building have been radically changed, one change being that the proposed auditorium will be transferred to a separate building, later to be erected. Committee meetings on these comprehensive plans are being held almost nightly and everybody is at work hoping to make the Dartmouth of the next 200 years in every way worthy to succeed its first 200.

Billy Ames followed with one of his brief but pithy financial reports. The main item was that there was the unprecedented sum of something over $100 in the Class Treasury. Billy intimated that how he could hold on to this money depended largely on how much the writer of this column spends in his various secretarial activities.

Billy also spoke for us all in presenting to Don and Louise a large bouquet of flowers which adorned the living room in which we met, and a plant which might be a reminder as it grew and blossomed during the months ahead of our heartfelt appreciation of their hospitality. Then followed the greetings from the absentees, extracts from which will appear in this column during the months ahead.

So passed another milestone in the history of our Class and a milestone to whose erection we all look forward year after year.

Secretary, 74 Kirkland St.,Cambridge38, Mass.

Treasurer, 60 Maple St., Somersworth, N. H,

Bequest Chairman,